Chapter 77: 77 No Line of Work is Easy

The so-called white moonlight is most perfect only when it exists in your mind.

Once you truly get close, you will only discover countless gaps within it.

The same logic applies to the sun Lin Jun longs for.

The scorching sun hangs overhead; the yellow earth on both sides of the official road is baked white, and the rising heat waves distort the scenery in the distance.

These few days mark the final rampage of midsummer; in another half month, the cold wind from the north will sweep away this annoying heat, but at this moment, the stove-like heat still scorches every traveler.

Dylane rode atop a brown steed, galloping along the road to the city.

His first target was Norwid, a city three days' journey from Silent Wind Town.

On Dylane's back, strapped with three reinforced leather belts across his shoulder blades and waist, firmly fixed behind him, was the mimicked Scout!

The real luggage was packed in the saddlebags on either side of the steed.

However, at this moment, the Scout, which should have been taut against his back, was actually somewhat loose and sagging.

Dylane held the reins with one hand while the other reached backward to feel.

The sensation at his fingertips was no longer elastic as before; instead, it felt like touching... a shriveled sheepskin?

"Boss, what's wrong with it?"

His safety on this journey depended entirely on this Pujiji behind him.

"Uh..." Lin Jun looked at the dehydration status on the Scout's panel and was also speechless, "Probably... it just wilted from the sun..."

Mushrooms dehydrate under scorching sun; that is truly damn reasonable.

It seems the Sun Stone and the real sun do have some differences; at least the Knight wasn't wilted by the Sun Stone.

Since coming to this world, it's been magic, magic, magic all day long, making Lin Jun almost feel that magic is omnipotent.

He thought that as long as there was no lack of magic, Pujiji would be very healthy.

Looks like that won't work...

Under the tree shadows, Dylane unscrewed a waterskin and slowly poured water onto the Scout's mushroom cap.

Clear water seeped into the gaps of the scales; after the Scout absorbed the moisture, it was obviously much more spirited.

This made Dylane exhale slightly in relief, fearing that once it withered, rehydration wouldn't revive it.

It seems it's fine for now.

But...

Dylane looked at the dwindling water supply—he needed to find a place to resupply.

Forget the city; it's still far away.

Let's see if there's a stream or a village nearby to get some water.

—

Silent Wind Town, the Adventurer's Guild after reconstruction was completed.

This gray stone building, embraced by three towers, rose from the original ruins.

Whether to regain the adventurers' confidence in the Guild or not, the main hall was fully twice the size of the original.

In the center of the hall, ten pillars carved with the ecosystems of each level of the Amethyst Dungeon supported the dome of the hall.

However, due to recent changes in the dungeon's ecosystem, the first few pillars are said to need re-carving.

The entire eastern wall was transformed into a three-tiered floating quest board; under the effect of the array, quests of various levels rotated automatically within glass cases, casting the blood-red insignia from the bounty notices onto the armor of passing adventurers.

"Handsome young man, long time no see; place your identity tag here." Helena gazed at the three young people before her, her lips curving into a professional smile.

Seemingly surprised that the red-haired lady behind the reception desk actually remembered him, the boy's action of handing over the identity tag slowed by half a beat.

This tiny hesitation, lasting only half a second, was precisely captured by the companion beside him.

One of the young women, frowning slightly, reached out directly to intercept the metal tag lingering in mid-air and placed it on the counter for him.

These young people were, of course, the three of Vera who had been wandering outside for over two months before returning.

During this time, although they didn't enter the dungeon, they weren't idle.

Instead, they tried working as caravan guards.

As dungeon adventurers, having encountered life-or-death crises twice in a row during this period, they really made them want to back out.

They thought, maybe they could try a different path; caravan guards might earn less, but surely it wouldn't be that dangerous?

Who knew that doing this left all three of them completely numb.

The long trek didn't feel bitter to them, nor did goblin attacks on the caravan make them feel afraid.

What truly made them unable to continue was the people in the caravan.

Or more accurately, the fat son of the caravan leader.

The little fatty was in his twenties and only barely reached Copper rank.

He had little skill, but his lustful heart was quite big.

Throughout the escort of the convoy, he harassed the two sisters no end.

However, how could Feiling Fein possibly look favorably on such trash!

Only hindered by their status relationship, the group could only try to avoid him as much as possible.

As a result, seeing his pursuit fail, this guy started having wicked thoughts—drugging them.

And then he was exposed on the spot by Fein.

Since suffering the loss of being drugged by the raiders that time, Fein had been diligently studying this knowledge.

How could the common, cheap anesthetic the fat man used possibly go unnoticed by Fein?

This changed the nature of the matter; it was no longer something that could be dismissed as mere harassment.

The three of Vera beat him up badly; Feiling was the most ruthless, kicking out the fat man's two front teeth.

The commotion naturally drew the attention of others in the caravan, eventually escalating to the point where Vera and the leader's faction were at each other's throats.

It was also because the team leader's son had acted so despicably that although most people in the caravan did not stand with Vera and the others, they did not stand with the team leader either.

In the end, the matter was dropped, but Vera and the others could no longer stay as caravan guards.

As soon as they reached a city, the team leader threw over the wages he had deducted and drove the three of them away as if they were a plague.

This experience as caravan guards could be described as quite miserable.

So much so that the three of them felt quite unenthusiastic about joining another caravan and trying again.

By comparison, the risks of being an adventurer suddenly seemed not so hard to accept.

So the three of them conferred, then cheerfully ran back to Silent Wind Town to pursue the very promising profession of adventurer.

However, the new Silent Wind Town seemed a tiny bit different from the original.

After leaving the Guild, they found the familiar Rotten Willow Tavern closed, so they could only find a random eatery on the street to get food.

"Boss, what is this?" Vera asked the boss, looking at the bowl of glowing, eerie soup in his hand.

The boss gave Vera an dissatisfied glance and said impatiently, "Didn't you want the cheapest set meal? Isn't this mushroom soup?"

"Mushrooms!?"

After the boss said that, Vera gradually connected the color of this soup with the color of the fluorescent mushrooms on the fifth floor.

"No way... can this even be eaten?"

He looked up at the two sisters sitting opposite; neither had moved their spoons, both waiting for him to eat first...

Food sold for money shouldn't make you vomit, right?

He scooped up a spoonful and shoved it straight into his mouth.

This taste!

Surprisingly, it was very ordinary...

Not delicious but not bad either, slightly bland, which was due to the boss saving on salt.

Vera spooned mouthful after mouthful, only to suddenly realize the two people opposite still hadn't started eating.

"The taste is passable; why aren't you eating?"

Seeing the gaze of Feiling and Feiyin fixed on him, Vera belatedly wiped his mouth.

His hand was covered in fluorescence...

(End of this chapter)